The UHA Blazers used a strong finish to pick up an impressive win Friday night in the Marshall County Hoopfest. The Blazers rallied from 8 points down in the final quarter to get the 81-78 win over highly touted Callaway, Mississippi.
The game was an uptempo affair from the very beginning. Callway scored the first five points, with the Blazers responding with the next four to make it 5-4 with 5:27 to go in the first. The two teams battled their way to a 9-9 tie, at which point Callaway went on an 8-0 run to take a 17-9 lead. The Blazers though battled their way back behind three pointers from KyKy Tandy and Drew McGowan to cut the lead to 23-19 at the end of the quarter. Tandy’s 3 pointer banked in at the buzzer to cut the lead to four.
Behind the play of superstar sophomore Daeshun Ruffin, the Chargers extended the lead to 29-23 early in the second quarter. KyKy Tandy drilled a pair of threes to lead the Blazers on a 10-4 rally to tie the game at 33-33. The game would be tied at 35, and 37, before Callaway finished the half on a 7-2 spurt to take at 44-39 lead at the break.
UHA opened the second half on a Tandy 3 and a Tandy breakaway dunk to tie the game at 44-44. The back and forth battle continued through the quarter, before Callaway finished the quarter with a 5-2 spurt to take a 62-56 lead after three.
The Blazer then made their move to take control of the game early in the 4th quarter. After the Chargers scored the opening basket of the quarter to extend the lead to 64-56, UHA went on a 12-1 run to take a 68-65 lead. When KJ Crump’s three went through with 5:20 to go and put the Blazers up 66-65, it was the first time UHA had led in the contest.
Callaway briefly rallied to take a 69-68 lead, but the Blazers were not going to fade down the stretch. Drew McGowan drilled a three to put UHA back up 71-69, and the Blazers would not trail again. McGowan and Tandy made key free throws, while the Chargers missed four in a row at one point down the stretch.
UHA did have some problems dealing with the Callaway pressure late, turning the ball over and giving the Chargers a chance to stay in the game. Callaway got within one at 79-78 with 18 seconds left. However, Drew McGowan made two free throws with 12 seconds left, and Callaway missed two three point attempts, including one at the horn, as the Blazers picked up the 81-78 win.
KyKy Tandy led the way for UHA with 31 points and 7 rebounds. Drew McGowan added 21 points and five boards for the Blazers. TaQuan Hollowell also reached double figures with 13. KJ Crump had seven points and four assists, and made big plays in the 4th quarter to help the Blazers get to the lead.
Callaway was led by DaeShun Ruffin with 20 points.
The Blazers don’t get much time to recover, as they return to action Saturday evening at Muhlenberg County in the First State Bank Tipoff Classic, where they will take on Doss at 5:30.